Power take-off



May 29, 1956 M. F. BENNETT POWER TAKE-OFF 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19 1950 Marvin F. Benhefl INVENTOR.

United States atent 2,747,415 Patented May 29, 1956 nice POWER TAKE-OFF Marvin F. Bennett, Hastings, Nebr.

Application July 19, 1950, Serial No. 174,737

3 Claims. (Cl. 7415.S)

This invention comprises novel and useful improvernents in a waxer and polisher and more specifically pertains to an attachment specifically adapted for association with and being driven by an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle for operating a surface treating device such as a waxer or polisher or the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved driving means for an implement such a waxer or polisher which is adapted to obtain its power from an internal combustion engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved surface treating device especially adapted for use as an attachment associated with an internal combustion engine for obtaining its power therefrom in a novel manner, and having an improved means for controlling the application of the power to the driven implement.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an engine driven surface treating device which may be readily operatively connected with or disengaged from an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle for drivingly engaging the fan belt of the same in an improved manner.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a portion of an internal combustion engine together with a novel surface treating attachment forming the subject of this invention and operatively connected with the internal combustion engine;

Figure 2 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view through the handle of the driven attachment showing the manner in which the drive shaft of the same is connected to the attachment;

Figure 3 is a vertical central sectional view through a portion of the attachment of Figure 1 showing the construction of the mounting means for the same and the manner in which the driving means of the attachment is constructed;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line l4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 55 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is an elevational view, parts being broken away and shown in section, showing the manner in which the driving means of the present invention may be employed to operate other attachments such as vacuum cleaners and the like.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, attention is directed first to Figure 1 wherein the numeral 10 designates generally a portion of any conventional form of internal combus- 2 tion engine, the same being provided with an engine driven pulley 12 usually mounted upon the crankshaft of the engine, a fan belt 14 being entrained over this pulley for operating an engine cooling fan 16 and an engine driven generator 18, the latter having a generator pulley 20 associated with the belt 14.

The engine further includes an adjustable bracket 22 for adjusting the generator 18 to cause the pulley 20 of the same to properly tension the fan belt 14, in accordance with conventional practice.

In accordance with this invention, any suitable attachment, such as a surface treating Wheel 24 which may be specifically designed as an abrasive wheel, a wax applyingwheel or a polishing wheel as desired, is operatively connected to the fan belt 14 for driven engagement therewith. The surface treating wheel 24 is directly driven by an attachment which includes a friction drum or wheel 2.6 which frictionally engages the fan belt 14, this friction drum being operatively connected with the wheel 24 as by a flexible cable assembly 28.

The flexible cable assembly may conveniently comprise a flexible steel cable or wire of conventional design, having extremities or end portions which are squared as at and 32, see Figures 2, 3-5, this flexible cable being housed in the conventional flexible metallic housing or sheath similar to that of a speedometer cable, and which may be coated with a rubber or other covering, the flexible housing, whether coated or uncoated, being indicated generally by the numeral 34.

Reference is made first to Figures 3-5 for explanation and exposition of the construction of the driving engagement of the attachment with the fan belt and the manner for mounting the same upon the generator 18.

The mounting means comprises a clamp having a pair of arcuate jaws 36 and 33, hinged to each other as at 40 and having projecting cars 42 which may be secured as by a fastening bolt 44 to permit the clamping device to be removably placed about the housing of the generator 18 and rigidly secured thereto, and to permit the clamp to be adjusted circumferentially of the generator as desired.

The uppermost of the two arcuate jaws of the clamping device has rigidly secured thereto a fixed jaw 46 which may be in the form of an angle iron member, and which may be welded or otherwise rigidly mounted upon the member 38, to which is pivotally attached as at 48, an arcuate movable jaw 50 having a curved or hooked end portion 52. Hinged as at 54 to a hinge bracket 56 carried by the other side of the angle iron member 46 constituting the fixed jaw, is a pivotal latch lever 58 to the end of which is pivotally connected as at 60 a latch handle 62 likewise arcuately shaped to lie against the convex surface of the movable jaw 50 and having a finger-grip terminal portion 64.

As shown in Figure 4, the arrangement is such that when the movable jaw 59 is closed downwardly against the fixed jaw, as shown, the lever 58 may be pivoted to the position shown, and the lower end of the member 62 may be placed in the hooked portion 52 of the movable jaw 56, and the finger-grip portion 64 may be then rotated or moved in a clockwise direction, thus causing a camming action between the pivot 60, the end of the member 62 and the hook portion 52 until the member 62 is in the seated position shown in Figure 4.

it will thus be apparent that there has been provided a accommodated between the angle iron member 46 constituting the fixed jaw and the arcuate movable jaw 50.

The housing 66, as best shown in Figure 3, is provided with an' axial bore or passage 72 therethrough, the forward portion of this passage being diametrically enlarged as at 74. The above-mentioned flexible housing 34 is received in the passage 72 and is securely but detachably locked therein as by a set screw 76 threaded and countersunk into the side of the-housing 66. V The extending extremity 32 of the flexiblecable carried by the housing 34, extends into and through the enlarged bore 74 and is slidably but non-rotatably received in a correspondingly shaped axial bore 78 formed in the rearward end of an axle 80 which is thus journaled in the bore 74 for rotation therein, this axle being removably secured to the end 32 of the flexible cable as by a set screw 82 which is threaded into and countersunk in the side of the axle 80. By means of the set screw, the axle 30 is prevented from withdrawal from the bore 74 but is rotatably journaled therein, and causes the terminal portion 32 of the flexible cable to rotate as the axle is rotated At its outer end, the axle S6 is provided with a diametrically reduced, externally threaded end portion 84 upon which is non-rotatably clamped as by an integral flange or shoulder 86 and a washer 88 together with a fastening nut 90, an annular drum or disk 92 which may be of any desired material, such as hard rubber or the like, and which constitutes a friction drum adapted to be rotated by the fan belt 14.

As so far described, it will be apparent that the housing 66 may be adjusted longitudinally of the generator 18 in order to position the friction drum 26 in the plane of travel of the fan belt 14 by either adjusting the clamping device 36, 38 along the length of the generator housing 18, or by slidably adjusting the housing 66 in the clamping members 46 and 50.

In any event, it is preferred to so position the friction drum 92 that the latter will engage the fan belt at the same portion of the belt which is engaged by the generator pulley 20 so as to in effect clamp the belt between the friction drum and pulley and thus relieve the belt from any side thrust or strains which might be imposed upon the belt by the pressure of the friction drum 26 engaging the belt at some portion between two of the pulleys over which the fan belt is entrained. It will, of course, be evident that by circumferentially adjusting the clamping members 36 and 38 about the generator housing 18, the friction drum 26 could be caused to engage the fan beltat any desired location.

Attention is now directed more specifically to Figure 2 wherein it will be seen that the surface treating wheel 24 is rotatably journaled in an elongated handle 94 of any desired shape, size and material by means of which the wheel may be maneuvered and manipulated as desired.

The handle 94 includes an axial bore 96 which at its forward extremity is diametrically'enlarged as at 98, and one end of the flexible housing 34 is detachably and rigidly secured in the bore 96 as by a set screw 100 which is screw-threaded through the side of the handle and recessed therein.

The enlarged bore 98 is provided with a suitable metallic bushing or sleeve 102 which may be secured therein in any desired manner and which constitutes a journal or bearing for rotatably supporting the wheel 24.

A tubular drive shaft 104 is rotatably received within bushing 102 and is provided with an integral conical thaped'head 106, which constitutes a male clutch member The surface treating wheel 24 may be of any desired character in accordance with the use to which the same is to be put, and it is to bejiunderstood that the invention is not limited to its use to any particular form or construction or use of such wheel. It is contemplated that a plurality of wheels may be interchangeably employed with this device depending upon the function to be performed by the same. As illustrated, the wheel 24 is provided with a metallic hub portion 114 which is provided with an axial bore 116 therethrough, this bore being countersunk or enlarged at its outer end as at 113 to recess and receive the head portion 120 of a fastening I bolt 122 forming a spindle which extends into an internally threadedaxial bore 124 formed in the nose portion of the head 106. It will thus be apparent that the wheel assembly is rotatably but detachably secured to and carried by the nose portion of the head 106 for relative rotation thereon.

Integrally or rigidly secured to the spool portion 114 is a frusto-conical sleeve member 126 which is thus rotatable with the wheel 24 and which encircles the conical surface of the head 106 constituting a complementary female clutch member therefor.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the adjacent conical surfaces of the head 106 and 126 are slightly spaced from each other so that no driving connection between the same is established, so that although the sleeve member 106 will continuously rotate while the engine 10 is being operated, and the device is applied thereto, the wheel 24 may remain stationary with a relative rotation occurring between the bolt 122 and the bore 116 of the spool 114.

However, when the wheel 24 is pressed against a surface to be treated by'this device, as by pressing the handle 94 thereagainst, the rotating head 106 will be forced against the clutch member 126 as the bolt 122 rotates and slides in the bore 116, thus establishing a clutched engagement between the head 106 and sleeve member 126. By merely releasing the pressure applied to the handle 94, it is evident that the clutch members will tend to slip or separate thereby breaking the driving connection between the continuously rotating flexible cable, drive shaft 104, head 106 and the clutch member 126 mounted upon thewheel 24. i

As will now be readily understood, by virtue of the flexible cable assembly 28, .the implement thus driven by the fan belt of the engine can be employed remote distances therefrom for various operations such as abrasive purposes, waxing, polishing or otherwise treating surfaces as desired. The engine, thus idling, constitutes an inexpensive readily available and convenient source of power for operating the implement.

It is to be understood that this power take-off means for driving an accessory or attachment from an internal combustion engine as a power source, may be utilized for other purposes than operatingsurface treating wheels, since as suggested in Figure 6, the flexible cable assembly in association with the drive shaft mounted in the housing 94 may be utilized throughout any conventional form of air cleaner device having a casing 128 within which operates a vacuum impeller, notshown, which draws in air through a suction nozzle 130 and discharges the same into a vacuum cleaner filter bag 132. A further handle means 134 may be provided to. assist in manipulating the vacuum cleaner for cleaning the car with which the internal combustion engine is associated or other uses.

It should be understood that a bonnet can be applied to the wheel 24 to adapt the same for polishing, bufling or the like. 7 l a From the foregoing, it is thoughtthat the construction and operation of the invention together with as many advantages will be readily apparent and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous, modifications" and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, bit all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. Drive means for a flexible cable comprising an elongated housing having an axial through bore provided with a reduced end adapted to fit over one end of a sheath of a flexible cable, means in said housing adapted to secure one end of a flexible cable sheath in said reduced end of the bore, an axially bored axle journaled in the other end of said bore and projecting out of one end of the housing, and attachable over one end of a flexible cable extending out of a cable sheath, a friction drum drivingly mounted on said axle outwardly of said other end of the housing, and clamping means clampingly engaging said housing and clampingly engageable with a belt driven generator of an internal combustion engine to engage said drum with a belt.

2. Drive means as in claim 1, said clamping means including a clamp engageable with a generator, and a second clamp on the first named clamp engaging said housing.

3. Drive means for rotating a surface treating wheel comprising an elongated handle having an axial through bore adapted to fit over one end of a sheath of a rotary flexible cable and provided with an enlarged end portion at one end of the handle, means in said handle adapted to secure an end of a sheath in said bore, a bushing fixed in the enlarged end of the bore, an axially bored shaft journaled in said bushing and having thereon a conical male clutch member spaced outwardly of said end of the handle, said shaft being attachable over an end of a flexible cable extending out of a sheath for drive by said cable, an axial spindle extending out of said male clutch member and having said wheel journaled thereon and slidable on the same toward said male clutch member, and a frusto-conical female clutch sleeve fast on said wheel and engageable with said male clutch member by sliding of said wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,576,381 Van Derbeck Mar. 9, 1926 2,025,131 Segerstrom Dec. 24, 1935 2,325,175 Crakes July 27, 1943 2,435,775 French Feb. 10, 1948 2,455,375 Lindholm Dec. 7, 1948 2,458,260 Gray Jan. 4, 1949 2,501,386 Gibbs Mar. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,172 Australia Dec. 3, 1928 

